The Necklace-After the Ring
by Skitz Llama
Summary: It's Frodos 51st birthday..what wants more is no trouble. Then the necklace moves in...
1. Default Chapter

[pic]  
  
A long, long time ago, In Middle-Earth, there was a lovely green place called the Shire. The Shire belonged to some peculiar creatures that were even more peculiar looking. They were only 3'6, had large furry feet and shoulder length curly hair. These creatures were Hobbits.  
  
They lived in small houses called hobbit holes and enjoyed the simple things in life such as; smoking pipes, eating, reading and didn't really go on adventures. They preferred to sit at home in front of a fire blowing smoke rings and telling tales. But, in exception of this rule, there once was a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. He had an adventure quite some time ago and got in an encounter with a dragon. Shortly after wards, his cousin, Belladonna Took and her husband drowned, leaving their small son Frodo homeless. Bilbo, thinking it would be unkind to turn him away, took him in and raised him. After hearing Bilbo's Adventure stories non-stop, he decided he wanted an adventure as well. On Bilbo's birthday though, Frodo got an adventure indeed! He got more than he bargained for. Bilbo possessed a magic ring, in fact it was the magic ring created by the Dark lord Sauron ages ago, but Sauron was destroyed, but his spirit endured and the ring remained.  
  
Frodo was sent on the journey to destroy the ring in the cracks of Doom, where it was made, Mordor.  
  
20 years later though, Frodo was still alive and well. It was his 51st birthday and this story takes place with Frodo sitting in a tree reading his cousin's book; "There and Back Again: A hobbit's tale." Frodo looked up from his book as the sound of hooves and rusty wheels approached. Gandalf, Frodo's good friend, was drawing nearer. Frodo Jumped up and ran to the side of the road where Gandalf slowly approached and finally came to a halt.  
  
"You're late! But perhaps not the first time!" Frodo exclaimed with a sly grin.  
  
"Just as I have said before Frodo Baggins,' Gandalf said with a deep gloomy voice,' A wizard is never late. Nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means too."  
  
Frodo, un able to keep a straight face, flings himself into Gandalf's for a hug.  
  
"It's excellent to see you again Gandalf!" Frodo laughed.  
  
"So it is for you dear boy. So big 51 today I suppose?" Gandalf questioned.  
  
"Yes. Yes it is."  
  
"So...get out there and let me take a good look at you!" Gandalf commanded waving one of his big hands to indicate where to go. Frodo jumped out of the cart and fell onto the grass underneath and scrambled up onto his fluffy feet. Frodo stepped away a bit so Gandalf could see all of his short body. Gandalf observed Frodo closely and examined him from the top of his brown coated head down to his large hairy feet. Frodo had dark brown hair that cascaded his shoulders, it curled up at the end, and he sported breeches of green and a yellow shirt. He wore no shoes as it was painful for a Hobbit to wear shoes and they had thick, strong skin on the soles of their feet. As Frodo clambered back into the cart, Shadowfax, Gandalf's horse, started to trot slowly along the narrow path that led to Hobbington where Frodo lived.  
  
"You've grown young Frodo." Gandalf said in his gloomy manner.  
  
"You really think?" Frodo replied with raised eyebrows, and started tugging at his shirt to get a better look at himself. Gandalf watched him with an amused expression as a smile crept across his face. Frodo stopped the tugging and looked up with a grin on his face.  
  
"What's so funny?!" Frodo demanded.  
  
"Nothing...nothing...Ah! look Frodo! your cousins Misters Peregrin and Meriadoc are here." Gandalf said his smile fading from his face.  
  
"Hello Frodo!' Pippin greeted, eyeing Gandalf with narrowed eyes "Hello Gandalf." he said at last.  
  
"Hi Merry! Hi Pip!" Frodo returned the greeting. Something flashed at Pippin's neck. Frodo leaned sideways to get a better look. Pippin spotted him and shifted his shirt so you couldn't see the necklace.  
  
"Frodo,' Merry began in a voice much unlike his own, "would you like to come with us? There is this thing that you might like to see."  
  
"I don't know, let me check with Gandalf." He looked at Gandalf with question marks in his eyes. Gandalf nodded and sent Frodo hurtling out of the cart to join his cousins. Gandalf urged his horse along and started singing merrily as he made his way down the lane to Frodo's cousin's Bilbo's house. Frodo shaded his eyes and watched Gandalf edge along the road.  
  
"Hey! Frodo! You coming!" Merry shouted. Frodo started towards Merry and Pippin who were at the start of a very dusty road with thickets of trees on either side.  
  
"Yeah! I'm coming!" He replied. he kept on walking but when he got to the edge of the road he looked back and watched Gandalf ride away, now just a speck on the horizon. 


	2. The Necklace-Part 2

[pic]  
  
As Frodo, Merry and Pippin headed down the dusty lane, noises of all sorts frightened them as they passed. Frodo began to doubt that this was really a great idea.  
  
"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Frodo asked, as he nearly fell flat on his face as he tripped over a branch that must have broken from tree.  
  
"Shut up! And just keep up!" Pippin shouted, one of the many things that he had never done before. Frodo looked over his shoulder and sped up a bit feeling bewildered.  
  
"Look, Pip, where are you taking me!" Frodo demanded now really scared. Pippin's face broke into a wild smile. He started to say something but he stopped as they reached a clearing. All was dark. In the middle of the clearing stood a cottage. It was rather beaten up and looked as though it had been standing for years.  
  
"Why did you bring me here?" He asked looking around at Pippin and Merry, and sounding a bit doubtful and panicky.  
  
"Why? Why? Now I've got a little 'why' question for you Frodo!' Pippin shouted. "Why is everything you ask always a question!" Frodo looked very taken aback and started edging towards the cottage not knowing where he was going. He stumbled over a rock and scrambled to his feet.  
  
"What is the matter with you Pippin!" Frodo said in a horrified sort of voice. Pippin grinned widely and leant against a tree trunk. The necklace that he was wearing fell out of his collar and hung around his neck. Frodo stared at it and tried to figure out what it was. Then he saw it. A golden pendant at the end of the chain. It had a winding path of words and Frodo realised that there were words on it in...Elfish he decided. His stomach gave a horrible jolt and looked at Merry for an explanation. He saw that he too was wearing an insane smile and to his horror, a necklace just like Pippin's.  
  
"Oh, nothings the matter with me alright.' Pippin said rather greasily, "I see you've spotted our pendants and would like you too, seeming you've got so much..." Pippin suddenly stopped dead and glared at Frodo.  
  
"Listen here, cousin, we want you to go in that cottage over there and see what's going on alright? Or else. There's some pretty weird stuff going on...and since you're so...brave...we thought you might check it out." Merry finished for Pippin. Frodo jumped. He had almost forgotten that Merry was there. Pippin and Merry both now stared at Frodo expecting something. Frodo was staring back just as hard and while been, imposturous thoughts were flying through Frodo's head.  
  
"No way! It's my birthday and there's not going to be one single bit of trouble. I'm leaving." Frodo's words sounded more bravely than he felt, but still, he took a step towards them and turned to walk out of the clearing.  
  
"You had better go than! I guess you want to put on your make-up or something before your party!" Pippin snarled at Frodo with a sarcastic hint of anger in his voice. Frodo felt rather hurt that his cousin could just change like...that. As Frodo was leaving the clearing, he turned around to face his cousin's. They were looking up at the trees and had their necklaces out. Frodo shook his head roughly and thought it was just a phase. He climbed his way out of the forest and sat down on a short tree trunk. He put his head in his hands and thought about the day's events. His mind was set on that necklace. "Did this have anything to do with Pippin acting strange?" He thought. Frodo sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked down at the wheel marks on the sand and started to follow them. He thought he had better ask Gandalf what all this meant. Gandalf usually knew the answer to lots of things. 


	3. The Necklace-Part 2

[pic]  
  
As Frodo, Merry and Pippin headed down the dusty lane, noises of all sorts frightened them as they passed. Frodo began to doubt that this was really a great idea.  
  
"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Frodo asked, as he nearly fell flat on his face as he tripped over a branch that must have broken from tree.  
  
"Shut up! And just keep up!" Pippin shouted, one of the many things that he had never done before. Frodo looked over his shoulder and sped up a bit feeling bewildered.  
  
"Look, Pip, where are you taking me!" Frodo demanded now really scared. Pippin's face broke into a wild smile. He started to say something but he stopped as they reached a clearing. All was dark. In the middle of the clearing stood a cottage. It was rather beaten up and looked as though it had been standing for years.  
  
"Why did you bring me here?" He asked looking around at Pippin and Merry, and sounding a bit doubtful and panicky.  
  
"Why? Why? Now I've got a little 'why' question for you Frodo!' Pippin shouted. "Why is everything you ask always a question!" Frodo looked very taken aback and started edging towards the cottage not knowing where he was going. He stumbled over a rock and scrambled to his feet.  
  
"What is the matter with you Pippin!" Frodo said in a horrified sort of voice. Pippin grinned widely and leant against a tree trunk. The necklace that he was wearing fell out of his collar and hung around his neck. Frodo stared at it and tried to figure out what it was. Then he saw it. A golden pendant at the end of the chain. It had a winding path of words and Frodo realised that there were words on it in...Elfish he decided. His stomach gave a horrible jolt and looked at Merry for an explanation. He saw that he too was wearing an insane smile and to his horror, a necklace just like Pippin's.  
  
"Oh, nothings the matter with me alright.' Pippin said rather greasily, "I see you've spotted our pendants and would like you too, seeming you've got so much..." Pippin suddenly stopped dead and glared at Frodo.  
  
"Listen here, cousin, we want you to go in that cottage over there and see what's going on alright? Or else. There's some pretty weird stuff going on...and since you're so...brave...we thought you might check it out." Merry finished for Pippin. Frodo jumped. He had almost forgotten that Merry was there. Pippin and Merry both now stared at Frodo expecting something. Frodo was staring back just as hard and while been, imposturous thoughts were flying through Frodo's head.  
  
"No way! It's my birthday and there's not going to be one single bit of trouble. I'm leaving." Frodo's words sounded more bravely than he felt, but still, he took a step towards them and turned to walk out of the clearing.  
  
"You had better go than! I guess you want to put on your make-up or something before your party!" Pippin snarled at Frodo with a sarcastic hint of anger in his voice. Frodo felt rather hurt that his cousin could just change like...that. As Frodo was leaving the clearing, he turned around to face his cousin's. They were looking up at the trees and had their necklaces out. Frodo shook his head roughly and thought it was just a phase. He climbed his way out of the forest and sat down on a short tree trunk. He put his head in his hands and thought about the day's events. His mind was set on that necklace. "Did this have anything to do with Pippin acting strange?" He thought. Frodo sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked down at the wheel marks on the sand and started to follow them. He thought he had better ask Gandalf what all this meant. Gandalf usually knew the answer to lots of things. 


End file.
